Pamela, Volume II eBook

“That, indeed, my dear, is the necessary qualifications
of a public speaker, be he lawyer, or what he will:
the man who cannot doubt himself, and can think
meanly of his auditors, never fails to speak
with self-applause at least.”

“But you’ll pardon me, good Sir, for speaking
my mind so freely, and so early of these your friends.”

“I never, my love, ask you a question, I wish
you not to answer; and always expect your answer should
be without reserve; for many times I may ask your
opinion, as a corrective or a confirmation of my own
judgment.”

How kind, how indulgent was this, my good lady!
But you know, how generously your dear brother treats
me, on all occasions; and this makes me so bold as
I often am.

It may be necessary, my dear lady, to give you an
account of our visitors, in order to make the future
parts of my writing the more intelligible; because
what I have to write may turn sometimes upon the company
we see: for which reason, I shall also just mention
Sir George Stuart, a Scottish gentleman, with whom
Mr. B. became acquainted in his travels, who seems
to be a polite (and Mr. B. says, is a learned) man,
and a virtuoso: he, and a nephew of his, of the
same name, a bashful gentleman, and who, for that
reason, I imagine, has a merit that lies deeper than
a first observation can reach, are just gone from
us, and were received with so much civility by Mr.
B. as entitles them to my respectful regard.

Thus, Madam, do I run on, in a manner, without materials;
and only to shew you the pleasure I take in obeying
you. I hope my good Lord Davers enjoys his health,
and continues me in his favour; which I value extremely,
as well as your ladyship’s. Mr. H., I hope,
likewise enjoys his health. But let me not forget
my particular and thankful respects to the Countess,
for her favour and goodness to me, which I shall ever
place next, in my grateful esteem, to the honours I
have received from your ladyship, and which bind me
to be, with the greatest respect, your faithful
and obliged servant, P.B.

LETTER XLV

MY DEAR FATHER AND MOTHER,

I write to you both, at this time, for your advice
in a particular dispute, which is the only one I have
had, or I hope ever shall have, with my dear benefactor;
and as he is pleased to insist upon his way, and it
is a point of conscience with me, I must resolve to
be determined by your joint advice; for, if my father
and mother, and husband, are of one opinion, I must,
I think, yield up my own.

This is the subject:—­I think a mother ought,
if she can, to be the nurse to her own children.

Mr. B. says, he will not permit it.

It is the first will not I have heard from
him, or given occasion for: and I tell him, that
it is a point of conscience with me, and I hope he
will indulge me: but the dear gentleman has an
odd way of arguing, that sometimes puzzles me.
He pretends to answer me from Scripture; but I have
some doubts of his exposition; and he gives
me leave to write to you, though yet he won’t
promise to be determined by your opinions if they
are not the same with his own; and I say to him, “Is
this fair, my dearest Mr. B.? Is it?”